Israel May Hold New Elections After Netanyahu's Rival Fails To Form Government

https://www.npr.org/2019/11/20/781260650/israel-may-hold-new-elections-after-netanyahus-rival-fails-to-form-government

Israel is set to continue without a government and may be heading to new elections after Benny Gantz, rival of longtime Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said Wednesday that he missed a deadline to form a government.

Netanyahu, who is facing the possibility of imminent indictment on corruption charges, also failed to form a coalition following the hotly contested election in September.

Gantz's announcement that he could not meet the deadline set by President Reuven Rivlin doesn't automatically trigger new elections. Rather, it kicks off another wave of political haggling — Israel's parliament has 21 days to nominate another lawmaker to try to form a majority government. If no other lawmakers are successful, it could usher in a third and unprecedented election this year, which Netanyahu has described as "institutional insanity."

Gantz, a longtime military leader and relative political newcomer, said his Blue and White party did everything it could.

Get Me'usa explicit threat only?

On Mon, Nov 18, 2019 at 11:39 PM Rav Shalom Chaim Spira ; wrote:

Shalom Aleikhem Ha-Rav ha-Ga'on R. Daniel Eidensohn, shlit"a,

Thank you for the honour of the question. In response, I am enclosing a scan of Be-Netivot ha-Halakhah Vol. 1 (KTAV Publishing, 1996), pp. 47-52, where R. J. David Bleich answers your question [in the specific context of the 1992 New York Get Law] by arguing that even an implicit threat of financial coercion - if understood as such by a typical husband - will disqualify the resulting get. Of special interest is footnote 16, where Rav Bleich raises a havah amina that perhaps his "implicit coercion" thesis is at odds with Chazon Ish, but then answers Chazon Ish in such a manner to be consistent with his thesis. To this student, it seems intuitive that Chazon Ish is in harmony with Rav Bleich's thesis; see Section L of my prenup essay <http://www.scribd.com/doc/176990434/Prenuptial-Agreements> where I present Chazon Ish as such. 

Now, although you did not specifically ask me about the South African Get Law identified by Iggerot Mosheh, Even ha-Ezer IV, no. 106, I see that in your post you raised the issue, so allow me to refer you to Section J of my aforementioned where I offer different approaches to that South African responsum. 

[N.B. My prenup essay assumes that Vol. 7 of Iggerot Mosheh (which includes the South African Get Law responsum) represents the considered ruling of R. Moshe Feinstein - delivered while he was in good health - and therefore needs to be carefully studied-and-applied like the first six volumes of the same work. However, after I already published my prenup essay (which I am no longer at liberty to modify since it is now being studied by a secular Canadian court, and be-Ezrat Ha-Shem Yitbarakh this will result in a very positive blessing for Canadian Jewry), this student discovered that Rav Bleich has issued contradictory indications on whether he accepts the provenance of Vol. 7 of Iggerot Mosheh. I refer to this concept in footnote 239 of my brain death essay at <http://www.scribd.com/document/375175373/Halakhic-Bioethic >. In any event, I don't think this will result in a practical halakhic difference: neither for coerced gittin nor for brain death. It's more of an academic fascination. And, of course, Kevod Torato ha-Rav has publicized this academic fascination at http://daattorah.blogspot.com/2019/01/who-wrote-late-volumes-of-igrot-moshe.html ]

‘It was no secret’: Sondland says Trump ordered Ukraine pressure campaign

https://www.politico.com/news/2019/11/20/gordon-sondland-impeachment-testimony-071708

President Donald Trump’s top Europe envoy Gordon Sondland told House impeachment investigators Wednesday that Trump conditioned a valuable White House meeting for Ukraine's new president on his willingness to launch investigations into Trump’s Democratic adversaries, including former Vice President Joe Biden.

“Was there a ‘quid pro quo?’” Sondland — a close Trump ally and longtime GOP donor — said in his opening remarks to the House Intelligence Committee. “The answer is yes.”

New Haven rabbi convicted of 4 felonies wants new trial, claims witnesses intimidated

https://www.nhregister.com/news/article/New-Haven-rabbi-convicted-of-4-felonies-wants-new-14846214.php

Lawyers for Rabbi Daniel Greer, who was convicted on four counts of risk of injury to a minor and is due to be sentenced Wednesday, have filed a motion asking for a new trial because, the attorneys allege, “an admitted agent of the state harassed and attempted to intimidate” two defense witnesses.

Attorneys David Grudberg and William Dow III have charged that Lawrence Dressler, whose blog, www.larrynoodles.com, has contained “hundreds of negative items regarding Daniel Greer,” confronted witnesses Jean Ledbury and Thomas DeRosa near the courtroom and at DeRosa’s home in Southbury.

Utah nanny convicted of all counts in childhood abuse of rabbi

https://www.deseret.com/2019/11/15/20965657/utah-nanny-convicted-of-all-counts-in-childhood-abuse-of-rabbi

His decision to come forward publicly in a February Deseret News article set off a #MeToo movement within the Orthodox Jewish world. He received an outpouring of messages of support and encouragement, including from over 20 people who said they were also survivors of sexual abuse.

Among those cheering the guilty verdicts Friday were Elizabeth Smart and Rabbi Peretz Chein, the co-founder of the Chabad House at Brandeis University in Massachusetts. Rabbi Zippel’s disclosure inspired Chein to come forward forward as a survivor of sexual abuse earlier this year.

Smart, who was kidnapped at age 14 and sexually abused, said Friday she is “so happy to hear justice was served today.” She has advised Rabbi Zippel throughout the case and attended a February preliminary hearing.

“It takes a great deal of courage for a victim to share their story to anyone. It takes even more to take the witness stand to testify and be cross examined,” Smart continued.

Alexander Vindman: In The Country That I Served, Right Matters | The Last Word | MSNBC

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Chris Cuomo: If GOP is desperate for truth, why hide witnesses?

The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell 11/19/19 | Lawrence O'Donnell MSNBC News NOV 19, 2019

Fox's Neil Cavuto RIPS Trump for criticizing Chris Wallace in viral speech

Tuesday’s impeachment hearings were a disaster for Republicans

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/11/19/20973246/impeachment-hearing-republicans-trump-vindman-volker

In theory, the makeup of Tuesday’s House Intelligence impeachment hearings could have led to a balanced day, with some good news for Democrats and some for Republicans.

The first part of the hearing featured testimony from two witnesses called by the Democrats: Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, a National Security Council official who listened in on President Trump’s call with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, and Jennifer Williams, a foreign policy adviser to Vice President Mike Pence. The second part was devoted to two witnesses called by the Republicans: former US ambassador to Ukraine Kurt Volker and former Trump foreign policy adviser Tim Morrison.

But Tuesday’s testimony was, from practically top to bottom, a disaster for the president and his Republican allies.

Republicans Smear And Slander Ahead Of Testimony | Morning Joe | MSNBC

Poll: Americans Overwhelmingly Say Impeachment Hearings Won't Change Their Minds

https://www.npr.org/2019/11/19/780540637/poll-americans-overwhelmingly-say-impeachment-hearings-wont-change-their-minds?sc=tw

But 65% of Americans say they can't imagine any information or circumstances during the impeachment inquiry where they might change their minds about their position on impeachment. And 30% say yes, it's possible.

Shock at Yeshivah

https://ajn.timesofisrael.com/shock-at-yeshivah/

THE appointment of former Yeshivah Committee of Management (COM) member Michael Goldhirsch to the Yeshivah Centre Limited (YCL) board has been met with shock by sections of the community.

Chabad Institutions of Victoria Limited (CIVL) announced this week that Goldhirsch is a new member of its board, and that it has nominated him as one of three representatives on the YCL board, which is the roof board of CIVL and Yeshivah and Beth Rivkah Colleges.

Goldhirsch was a member of the COM until soon after the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in 2015.

During the time he was on the COM, children were sexually abused within the organisation and victims were re-victimised when they came forward.

Israel's nurses bear brunt of teetering healthcare system

https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5622515,00.html

A report published by the OECD last week shows that in Israel there are five nurses for every 1000 citizens. This is far lower than the average for developed countries, which stands at nine nurses for every 1000 citizens.

"This is an unbelievable travesty," says Ilana Cohen, head of the Nurses' Union.

"The impossible overcrowding has finally reached the public consciousness," she says.

"There is no resemblance between how hospitals are told to operate by law and the facts on the ground. We are seconded for immunization campaigns with no replacements. It's time to settle the issue. We can't wait for a new government to form," she says.